I just never saw the similarity between Pumpkinhead and Alien. I just think it's a trapping of designing around a human figure, and elongating a head (ran into this with my maturing swamp foetus creatures).

The killing spree to me was important since it showed the horror of making the deal with Haggis. Those kids didn't deserve to die and were even ready to go to the cops and turn themselves in...but revenge prevented all that. "You thought it would be neat and clean and painless?" I loved that line.

I'm glad you watched it. Not perfect, but it always felt like a labor of love to me. Winston trying to prove his directing chops.And that pumpkin patch graveyard...and that weird little scarecrow from the beginning.

what i did love about the Pumpkinhead design was it's CAT-like qualities..i Loved that for sure!

yeah, the Hunt & Kill for revenge was Important, but i also feel something is Missing, during that time.it's probably just me..i'm Greedy like that..i wanted More of Pumpkinhead's story.i wanted to know about the id connecting him & Frank Black..i wanted to be in Pumpkinhead's Big ol' noggin..

Oh & the pumpkin patch scene was Wonderful, i soooo wanted it to be Savored a little more, & maybe lit better.

it is a SUPER Deluxe labor of Love.such a Beautiful (folkish) fairy tale.

i can understand why you subscribe tothe views of Pumpkinhead possibly being a Shakespearean tragedy.

i think that can kinda be said of several horror movies.i have Always thought, Louis Creed (even has his own personal ghost) to fall into the tragic hero mode.

i don't know if i quite see Ed Harley as a tragic hero...but, that's probably because of how i personally view Hamlet, Othello & all those dudes...i subscribe to the thought, of (my) tragic heroes possessing the predisposed character flaw: such as indecisiveness, jealousy, etc etc, which ultimately leads to their own demise...i don't see a predisposed character flaw in Harley. (loving his son isn't a flaw).& how self aware (or conscious) is Ed Harley? (that just popped into my head for some unknown reason?)

i kinda see Pumpkinhead as more of a cautionary tale, as in fairy tale perhaps?. sorta as in: & the moral of the story is_______.maybe, i'm thinking morality play?

Pumpkinhead himself, feels kinda like an Avenging Angel to me...i almost said he was similar to a Pandora's Box first, but i think that's wrong, because his being unleashed is the releasing of a Very Specific Evil & NOT a General Evil upon the world..so, he's More intimate or personal.

i Loved your review bean!!!..<33333sooo Much More coherent than mine, i'm sure...i think some writing classes could only help me to express myself in a Clearer fashion.

i LOVED Pumpkinhead!!such a Beautiful little masterpiece there, that's why some of the ball dropping made me Boo as it did, i wouldn't have cared if it was just a bunch of slop.But..it has so much Heart & Soul.PLUS..i'm BIG into the "id'.i Always wanna know!

i'm buying this movie for sure!i've Only watched it the one time & i'm REALLY looking forward to watching it again & Again!

I think I see Ed Harley as a tragic hero due to the fact that here's this loving peaceful man who sees nothing but greatness for his boy...teaches him well and showing the kid so much love...but instead of grief and pain and hurt, we literally see him at the exaxt moment of deciding to choose vengeance. I see that as a predisposition ...a tapping into something dark inside. Where other parents would fall to pieces and mourn and hate and have so much rage...this guy, sitting there on the bed with his dead son, literally holds back the tears and drives to find Haggis. Mind you, I'd do the EXACT SAME THING.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that Haggis said that all of man's sins are represented in things like the pumpkinhead fetus...and the Pumpkinhead creature represents Vengeance. The concept of other sins being in the form of other creatures is fascinating to me.

So glad you dug it. And neat that we are seeing it in different ways. I love unsanswered horror.

Like the Space Jockey in Alien...like the Blue Stone being stolen in Halloween III.

we all see what we want, when giving opinions on art.the opinion i answered bean's comment with was based on the online of what a Shakespeare tragedy/hero is, i thought that's what she was saying, so i made my comment based on that & what that definition is & not Strictly from the heart.if i woulda answered from the heart & Not by that definition as a guide, my answer wouldn't have been so limited.

Honestly, in my experience of what i have seen, "Crimes of Passion" (murder) NEVER Hold the weight of a PREMEDITATED murder.Premeditated Scares me Wayyyyy worse..

and while i Love the movie, the 2 criticisms i had, didn't have anything to do with whether the movie was a Shakespearean Tragedy?..a Fairy Tale?..Morality Play?..Cautionary Tale?..

one was, Pumpkinhead looking too sci-fish for me, in this type of Organic (hill people) story it just screamed Alien to me...especially the Pornographic profile shots::the head, the goo, the mouth, the tail, body structure.it Didn't stop me tho from loving the movie, cause it's Not important..the Story to me, is what is important.

the second being, it starts to Stray..it coulda had ALL the revenge killing/gore scenes & still delivered More Pumpkinhead. Many movies are guilty of this too..still Didn't stop me from Loving the movie.

i tend to be a very romantic person & i'm Sure that affects how i view things..ROMANCE..

Yup. I hear you.And not trying to convince you to feel the way I do, of course.

Just digging on interpreting it by way of Shakespeare. The Hero falling, and failing, due to a fatal flaw or tragic error...that's just Ed to me. The guy had a couple chances to avoid his choices too. Could have driven to the hospital..could have heeded that farmer dude's warning...could have backed out when he dug up that fetus. Crimes of Passion to me aren't as drawn out and thought-through as Ed's mission to find and deliver the goods to Haggis.

I've always enjoyed the drawn-out killing because it lets us get to know these kids and realize they are totally undeserving of their fate. And it shows how huge a mistake Ed has made.

yeah, i Know, Shakespeare tends to harken, across the oceans of time to most of us...ahhhh..but..he Never did to me, tho.Carl's a BIG Fan too, plus he's an Actor, soooooo yeah, we discuss "it" back & forth All the time.we AGREE to Differ.. : D

i AM a Clive Barker FAN thru & thru.Clive, actually wanted to be a Philosopher, but gave it up because he said, Too much math was involved..& look what happened, he's become a Philosopher anyway, being the author of several OtherWorldy, Universe within a Universe, EPIC Novels. he's the Maestro.

we did see the Opera,Macbeth, it was Wonderful!.i guess, my Favorite Shakespearean piece, in book form, would be Othello.Jon Finch as Macbeth is <33333& so is Orson Welles as Othello.